


Heartbeat

by Runic



Series: Fire Emblem Non Explicit One Shots [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Heartbeats, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21578173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runic
Summary: Today their dream comes to fruition. Too bad for Byleth it starts with a nightmare.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Series: Fire Emblem Non Explicit One Shots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1515215
Comments: 8
Kudos: 131





	Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jullika](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jullika/gifts).



> Yeah, another one shot based on jullika's [art](https://twitter.com/jullika08/status/1199061171447517185). To be fair, she tricked me into this one. XD

_ Ba-dum. _

_ Ba-dum. Ba-dum. _

That drumming noise, it was echoing in her head. Her entire body radiated with the sound. She breathed deeply, matching each exhale to the next thump. She had no idea where it was coming from, but there was something about it that was comforting. It held her steady, her back straight and her head held high. 

_ Ba-dum. _

The light of dawn caressed her face, welcoming her with its warmth. It wrapped itself around her like a lover.

_ Ba-dum. _

He stood before her, suddenly revealed in the new light. His back was toward her, but even as he turned to look at her over his shoulder the drumming grew faster.

_ Badum. Badum.  _

She sucked in a breath, holding it as the light turned red. Her mouth opened, the scream that ripped its way from her lips silent, swallowed up in the void that stood between them. He fell to his knees, cloak billowing behind him, hiding his body from her as he crumpled to the stones.

_ Badum badum badum badum badum! _

The cloak drifted down slowly, covering his body and hiding his features from her sight. Blood turned the rich yellow fabric crimson, the morning light shifting in shade until it matched the life source staining the tiles.

_ Silence. _

The drumming stopped. Her precious dawn, the one they had both looked forward to for so long, rose harsh and biting. It cast everything it touched in a terrible crimson, and as she reached out for him, all she saw was that crimson coating her hands.

~

Byleth awoke with a gasp, reaching out for her husband instinctively. She sucked in great gasps of air, her entire body shaking with the aftermath of her nightmare. Her hands met only blankets, still warm from where he laid on them mere moments before. The evidence of his previous presence did nothing to ease her thoughts.

“Claude?” She grimaced at the sound of her own voice, rough and vulnerable, unguarded in a way she only showed to him. “Claude!” she called out again when there was no answer.

“Hey,” Claude came skidding through the doorway, concern etched into his handsome face. He still only wore the loose pants he had slept in, but had managed to already pick up ink stains along his fingertips. “I’m right here, By. What’s going on?”

Claude rejoined her on the bed, settling easily in front of her. His hands wrapped around Byleth’s wrists, running up and down her arms in a silent show of comfort. Byleth leaned into his touch as she shook her head, feeling foolish now that he was in front of her. 

“A nightmare, nothing more,” Byleth answered, grateful her voice sounded almost normal again.

“Certainly doesn’t seem like nothing,” Claude countered.

He waited, his intense green gaze studying her face and making it impossible for her to hide anything from him. “It was of today. Something went wrong, and...I watched you fall.”

“Hey now.” One of Claude’s hands raised to her cheek, Byleth tilting her head and nuzzling against his palm. He was impossibly warm, casting his own rays of sunshine onto her skin. “Everything is in place. Everyone knows what they need to do. Have a little confidence in them, By. They were trained by you after all,” he added with that signature smirk. “Everything will be fine. This is the accumulation of all our years of work.”

“I know,” Byleth said softly, breathing easier when Claude lifted his other hand to her face as well, framing her between his strong hands. “There have just been so many threats against you. I know we’ve done everything we can to prevent anything happening to you…” Byleth breathed deeply, Claude’s presence sweeping away the lingering taint of her dream. That one small action made her seem herself again. “I could hear your heartbeat echoing around me, and then it was just gone.”

That only caused Claude’s smirk to widen. “Well, you were pretty much draped completely over me when I woke up. It was adorable, you curled up against my chest. You even made this grumpy little noise when I had to move you. So, my love, it was just me getting up that caused you to stop hearing my heart.”

Byleth glared at him as a blush spread across her cheeks. She could easily imagine how delighted he had been upon hearing whatever noise she had made. They were prime fodder whenever he teased her. 

And yet her gaze softened as his own did the same. She found it very hard to stay annoyed when Claude looked at her with his eyes full of such open love and tenderness. “Don’t worry about me, Teach,” he whispered, a lock of hair falling in front of his face as he bent toward her. “Come on, a kiss will make you feel better. Let me claim your lips instead of us focusing on all this negativity.”

Claude yelped when he was suddenly shoved back, Byleth straddling his waist. It was followed up by another cry of surprise, swallowed quickly as Byleth leaned over him to press a bruising kiss against his lips. Claude rapidly recovered, wrapping his arms around her and simply allowing Byleth to take the lead. She poured her fears into that kiss, allowing Claude to take them and simply brush them aside. 

“How about more than a kiss?” she asked, rocking back against his half hard cock. She wanted him, needed to feel him alive beneath her hands; needed the reminder of his warmth to linger on her skin and inside her, giving her the strength necessary to get through the day. 

“We’re going to be late,” Claude pointed out, tone completely carefree. His argument was further damaged as his hands rose to cup her breasts, pinching her nipples through the fabric of her nightgown. 

“They can’t start without us,” Byleth countered.

Claude laid back and allowed Byleth to take what she needed, reassuring her with gentle caresses and murmured words. He was hers as much as she was his, and they lent their strength to each other. Between the heat of her husband’s lips and that wonderful ache as he filled her, Byleth chased away the remnants of her dream, the first in which Sothis had not appeared, and welcomed the dawn light that highlighted his smile.

/

She held her divine powers at her fingertips throughout Claude’s entire speech, ready to reverse time if they were unable to prevent the worst from occurring. Lorenz, Hilda, and Leonie stood a few steps behind, a bulwark against any harm that would come from behind them. The rest of the Deer, including those Byleth had adopted into their class, were close at hand, alert to any danger that would interrupt the day. Byleth caught a flash of white as Ingrid flew overhead, keeping an eye out from the back of her pegasus. 

Only once did Byleth see anything that would cause a disturbance, but Shamir quickly slipped through the crowd and handled the situation. Byleth let herself breathe again as three men were lead off discreetly, but kept herself alert for any other possible assassins. 

“Today is the dawn of a dream I once thought impossible,” Claude shouted to the crowd gathered at the Locket. They practically vibrated with energy as their king’s words filled them with hope and optimism. “Today Almyra and Fódlan are officially joined as one! It is our sincerest hope that you join us in celebration, for this is the start of a better world we have all fought for!” 

A cry went up from the crowd, a mix of both countries, echoing off the stones of Fódlan’s Locket. It carried down the mountains, spilling over across the abolished border. Almyra and Fódlan had truly been joined for some time, but as with everything political, a ceremony was needed to make it official. It was not done without protest, and many threats were made against the Ruler of Dawn and the King of Unification. More seemed to be aimed at Claude than at her. Byleth, as the living embodiment of Fódlan’s goddess, drew less ire from the devout who took her words as if they were from the goddess’ lips.

Claude turned, taking Byleth’s hands in his own. “See? Told you I’d be fine.”

Byleth looked at his grinning face with her usual blank expression. “Careful Claude, there’s still a dinner to get through,” she said lightly. Her eyes though told him how proud she was, how much of his joy she shared. 

“Excellent! You know how good I am with poisons!”

He grinned as he cupped her cheeks, the soft leather of his gloves caressing her skin. It was a rare form of public affection for them, but Byleth appreciated the similarity to when he had comforted her that morning. “Byleth, my pipe dream came true. I never could have done this without you.”

Byleth matched his smile, covering his hands with her own. “The dawn of a new world.”

“A better world.”

Claude leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips, the crowd cheering at the sight of their rulers’ affectionate display. Byleth felt heat rush to her cheeks, having forgotten they were even there, but she did not pull away. Claude was her shining dawn, and she would do anything to keep those beautiful sunrises in the world. 

And should anything try to harm Claude, Byleth would move the heavens themselves to protect him.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this is the least close I've gotten to doing one of jull's amazing pieces justice. -_-


End file.
